Washington, DC – U.S. Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand today announced $ 1,301,366 million in Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction (LBHRD) grant program funding for the Rensselaer County Department of Health. The funding was awarded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and will be used to address lead hazards in housing units for low- and very low-income families with children.
“Lead poisoning is an irreversible, preventable tragedy that robs many families and children of their future,” said Senator Schumer. “We must do everything we can to eliminate lead from our homes and this major federal grant will do just that by injecting much-needed funds into lead remediation and prevention here in Rensselaer County.”
“No New Yorker should have to live in a home where they could be poisoned by lead. This federal funding will support Rensselaer County’s work to remove lead from the homes of some of our most vulnerable families,” said Senator Gillibrand. “Lead causes severe health problems and it needs to be removed from our homes. I will always fight in the Senate to make sure that our communities have the resources they need to keep our families healthy and safe.”
Senators Schumer and Gillibrand have long advocated for protecting New York’s children and families in the past by securing millions of dollars in federal funding to eradicate the toxic element from homes in order to reduce lead-poisoning cases. Lead poisoning can cause developmental difficulties, physical pain, and neurological damage. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), lead is much more harmful to children than adults because it can affect children’s developing nerves and brains. Lead-based paint, still encasing the walls of many homes, often erodes and settles on children’s toys on the floor, eventually falling into the hands and mouths of children.
The purpose of the LBHRD program is to identify and control lead-based paint hazards in eligible privately owned housing for rental or owner-occupants. These grants are used to assist municipalities in carrying out lead hazard control activities. More information can be found here.